Chains of Time
by PhoenixFirecat
Summary: Chapter 7 is up! Yusuke and Reia finally meet. Will Botan's information be too late?
1. Memories in the Night

I decided to rewrite parts of this, therefore this is a replacement. The original had a few flaws.  
  
This takes place after the Dark Tournament, even though I haven't seen the end of said tournament. Stupid CN!! **kicks TV; TV falls off shelf and lands on Phoenix** Eeeyah!! Okay, that ouchies..on to the Fic!! **wiggles out from under TV; smites said appliance with the Squeaky Mallet of Doom**  
  
I don't own YYH.wish I did.Yoshihiro Togashi has that honor.any other shows or characters mentioned I don't own either..except for my plushies..  
  
~.~ is thoughts  
  
"." is spoken (Japanese usually)  
=.= are random Spanish phrases. Used later.. =^-^;=  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Chapter One: Memories in the Night  
  
~Who are you? What are you.NO!!!~  
  
The scream broke out through the moonlit forest, scattering the Makai birds, who had taken to their nests for the night. Two youko kitsune, a male and female, burst into the clearing, the male slumping to the ground as the female checked the area. She could smell nothing, other than Death. Pushing her silver-white hair back behind her shoulder, she knelt down next to her brother and moved his long and equally silver hair out of the way of the wound.  
  
Kurama shrugged her off, and wiped the blood off on his tunic. "Kaen, get going," the male said, standing up. He wobbled a bit then took a step past the girl. "I'll draw him away."  
  
"Niisan! Don't leave me, please.," the girl whispered, her gold eyes tingling with tears. She knew how bad his injury was; that damned Demon Hunter had shot him with a sort of metal Kaen had never seen. If she had, her brother would not be dying. She extended a hand towards Kurama, trying to help him. "Niisan, please, let me."  
  
"No, Kaen." The girl shrunk back as the older youko turned to her. "It wouldn't help. You need to get out of here. That Hunter's close." He winced as he sat back down and closed his eyes. Kaen looked around her; she could definitely smell the demon blood on the Hunter and didn't care. Her brother was more important right now.  
  
"Kurama, look at me," Kaen ordered, standing up to her height of 6'4". Kurama couldn't help but smirk at his younger sister trying to intimidate him, but he still knew better that to argue with her when she ordered his to do something. He looked up at her, realizing how much she had grown since she had joined his gang. ~She changed further after Kuronue's death, ~ he reminded himself.  
  
Certain that she had Kurama's attention, Kaen continued, "You're going to die unless that wound is looked after. If you let me cauterize it, we can kill this damned hunter and get you fully healed."  
  
Kurama went silent, but still looked at his sister. Since they had been kits, he would look after her and later taught her how to use her Chain Whip, since it wasn't much different from his Rose Whip. Even the death of their parents and becoming a thief hadn't changed Kaen; she was still a caring girl, although she could get carried away when someone she loved was hurt. "You'll never change, will you, Kachi?" Kurama asked, tugging on Kaen's crimson-red streak of hair that framed the right side of her face.  
  
"Not when it comes to things like this," Kaen joked, faintly relieved Kurama felt strong enough to tease her with her childhood name. The smile faded quickly as Kaen caught a new scent on the air.  
  
Demon blood.  
  
Almost as soon as the scent registered for both youko, Kurama was on his feet, dragging Kaen away from the source of the smell. Pulling her up to him, Kurama locked eye contact, sending his message through both speech and the mental connection they had always had. "Kaen, run! And keep running! Never look back," he growled, the anger at the Hunter dripping in his voice in a way that terrified Kaen: she had never seen Kurama this angry.  
  
Embracing her brother one last time, Kaen fought back tears as she ran as hard as she could from the clearing. She could feel the effects of Kurama calling the plants to block Kaen's escape path from the Hunter. As the scent of demon blood became thicker, Kaen felt as though something threatened to rip her apart, clawing at her soul. Stopping she collapsed to the ground and looked skyward as a silver spirit-fox streaked across the sky.  
  
~Niisan..~ Kaen lowered her head, silver hair sliding forward over her shoulders, her blood red stripe falling across one suddenly tear-streaked eye. Kaen cried silently for a moment, before throwing back her head with a scream mixed with anger and sadness.  
  
"NIISAAAAAN!!!!"  
  
* ~ * ~ *  
  
"NIISAAAAAN!!!!"  
  
Reia jolted from her sleep, nearing hitting her head on the lamp cord hanging above her bed. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of her basement bedroom. All of her things were here, nothing out of place, yet the echo of the yell continued, until it whispered out of her mind. Reia sharpened all of her senses, listening for anything. The only things she heard were the snoring of someone upstairs and the dog barking outside.  
  
Putting her head on her knees, she forced herself to calm down, and more importantly remember the dream. ~No, not dream. Memory. ~ She shook her head, red hair flying around. Out of some random whim, Reia decided to sleep with her hair down, conveniently forgetting its thickness and hatred of staying brushed.  
  
~Well, something's never change. Why should my hair? ~ She thought as her door opened.  
  
"Reia? Are you alright?" voiced a person Reia knew to be her foster- sister Narisuki, as she flipped the light switch.  
  
"Gaah!! Suki! Lights! Dark!! No..." Reia whimpered as her suddenly night-perfect eyes were shot to hell by the luminous 70-watt light bulb. She rubbed at her eyes, glaring blindly as the small blond still at the top of the stairs. Reia cursed under her breathe, before she could censor herself. "I was okay, until blinded."  
  
"Well, you screamed really loud, and I though someone was attacking you," came the quiet reply.  
  
Reia couldn't hold back her laughter. "If I was being 'attacked,' the attacker would be the one screaming, Suki," she responded, emphasizing 'attacked'. "Now go back to bed, kiddo. We have school tomorrow."  
  
Narisuki hesitated for a moment, but followed Reia's order and left the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
Kaen watched Narisuki leave, then got up and walked over to her dresser. Her red-hair was messy, with its silver streak perfectly separated. Nothing looked different, except.  
  
"Shit!!" Kaen looked closer at her eyes. Her eyes, normally a jade green color were suddenly gold. "Shit! Shit! Shit!! This cannot be happening!!" She blinked several times, wiped at her eyes, and then looked into the mirror again. ~Green.~ Letting out a sigh, Reia went to lie down again to think about her dream.  
  
What bothered her most about the dream was her eye-color changing afterwards. In the past few months that she would have that dream, her eyes hadn't changed one bit. Maybe her streak got wider, but that was it. Nothing like the partial transformation she just did. ~Maybe this has something to do with all those demons coming here. ~  
  
Reia snorted. As if the small scent of Makai creatures could cause a reaction like that. It would have to be greater, like a higher-level demon or someone she knew transforming.  
  
Rolling onto her back, she reached up to grab one of the many plushies Suki had given her. Finally catching one, she pulled it down, revealing it to be a red fox. Giggling, Reia thought back as to when she was given the little fox. Suki had been teasing her about her "Rogue- stripe" as Suki's father, a major X-Men fan, called it. To make up for it, Suki bought Reia the fox for her birthday, renaming her "Rogue-stripe" to a "fox-stripe." Personally, Reia found it quite appropriate, particularly since she was a fox-demon in hiding. Except then, her hair color was reversed, with a silver mane and blood red stripe. Only one other person had teased her about that stripe.  
  
~Niisan.~ The memory of her brother was painful. Even though it had been almost seventeen years since he died, the memory of that day still hurt. Hugging the fox, plushie close to her, Reia rolled over onto her side.  
  
"Niisan," she whispered, "why did you leave me?"  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
YAY!!! I'm done with the first chapter!! Chapter Two: A little fun in the afternoon!!  
  
A/N (Also known as 'Phoenix, what were you thinking?'):  
1. First off, if you wondered, Kaen Kachi means 'flame victory.' A very  
cool name if you ask me. I have it painted on a board in my room.with a  
red flame explosion-thing and Kachi written in kanji.  
2. Niisan- (Japanese) elder brother. There are about four ways to say  
elder brother and maybe two for younger sister. Therefore, Kaen got a  
nickname. Plus I like the name Kachi!  
3. The fox plushie is my subtly used my Shippô-chan in my fic. I had to!  
I sorry!! **glomps Shippô** My Kitsune!! Mine!! 


	2. A Free Afternoon

Hey, it's me. Sorry it took so long to get CH2 up. But the point is that it's here. Before I go any further, I want to thank Korume Shiretsu. If I hadn't read her wonderful story (Mission X), I wouldn't have gotten the courage to write my own YYH fic. So go check out her story as well. It is very, very good!!  
  
Anyway, you know the drill.Read, Review, and Come back for more!!  
  
~.~ is thoughts  
  
"." is spoken (Japanese usually)  
*.* is random Spanish phrases. Used later when Kaen cusses..  
  
: Blah stuff: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or much of anything else I mention in here. Except for my Shippô plushie that shows up every now and then..  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Chapter Two: A Free Afternoon  
  
It was a beautiful late autumn day, with a warm sun and clear skies. The wind was blowing with a cool breeze, so anyone basking in the warmth of the sun could find that perfect temperature to doze off in. Most schools were just letting out for the weekend, the onslaught of trapped students racing out into the sunshine.  
  
Shuichi Minamino crossed the schoolyard, heading for his favorite tree. His long red hair caught the sunlight, giving it fire tones as the wind blew it along behind him. The smells of autumn were thick in the air and gave the world a feeling of anticipation for the winter months to come. For Shuichi, autumn was his second favorite season, with spring as his favorite because of all the flowers springing into bloom, releasing their fragrances.  
  
~Although I could smell those anytime of the year, ~ he thought to himself as he sat down at the base of his tree. Shuichi pulled his book out of his backpack, and settled back to read.  
  
"Hey, Minamino!!" Shuichi looked up to see a brown-haired boy he recognized from his classes striding towards him, dressed out in the school's soccer uniform.  
  
"Good afternoon, Sigara," Shuichi said, placing his book down on his legs.  
  
"Hey, were you gonna go to the game to night? We're playing Hitsuyukan."  
  
"Sorry, I already have plans for this afternoon. I'm meeting with some friends."  
  
"Oh, okay. The guys were hoping you'd be able to draw some of the girls to the game. We need some of them to come once in a while," Sigara stated, nodding his head towards the rest of the soccer team who were still putting on their cleats.  
  
Shuichi sweat-dropped at the response. "Well, I would help if I could. Good luck at the game, though."  
  
"Yeah, well. Thanks anyway!" Sigara said, turning and running towards the team. "Have a good weekend!!" he said, waving at Shuichi.  
  
The redhead waved back at his friend, then stood and brushed grass off his pants. ~Sarayashiki should be out by now..~ Shuichi thought looking at his wristwatch. He gathered up his book and backpack, and waving to several students along the way, Shuichi Minamino made his way towards the center of town.  
  
**Phoenix: Scene switch!! (Claps hands)**  
  
"Kurama should be here by now." Botan sighed, glancing at the clock behind her. "It's not like him to be late."  
  
The black-haired boy across from her laughed. "What's wrong, Botan? You worried he might not show up?" he grinned, teasing the lavender-haired girl. Yusuke Urameshi had begun to believe that Botan secretly had a thing for their red-haired friend, but still enjoyed teasing the poor girl to no end about it.  
  
"He's probably having to chase off some of the girls from his school," a tall, orange-haired boy said, pulling up a chair next to the booth his friends were sitting in. The boys started laughing.  
  
"At least he goes to school," the brown-haired girl sitting next to Yusuke said. Her comment was greeted by an eye-roll from Yusuke and a giggle from Botan. Keiko Yukimura had always had to hound Yusuke about his lack of interest in school, although the others had begun to realize that it was Keiko's way of showing she worried about what would happen to Yusuke during those days he wasn't at school. Thankfully, Yusuke had gotten into the habit of getting together with Keiko during the weekend or whatever days off the school gave them.  
  
It was Friday afternoon, the beginning of a two-day weekend. Yusuke had called up Keiko, Botan, Kuwabara, and Kurama to have just a relaxing afternoon. Besides, he had told them, this was the first time in a long while in which they really had nothing to do. No school, Reiki Tantei work, ferry work, training. Nothing. Just a day to wander about the city and have fun. Of course, what definition of fun, he hadn't specified, but who were they to turn down a chance of momentary freedom?  
  
Therefore, they had all agreed to meet at the Little Picnic Café, and decide what to do from there. All they had to do was wait for Kurama to show up, and they could take off.  
  
"Hey, what does Kurama look like?" Keiko asked, taking a sip of her tea. She had a faint memory of what he looked like, but just wanted to be sure.  
  
"Tall, long red hair, blue eyes."Yusuke answered.  
  
"Green. His eyes are green, Yusuke," Botan corrected shaking a half- eaten cookie at the boy sitting across form her. "A Spirit Detective like you should remember this sort of thing."  
  
"Tsh, like guys TRY to pay attention to what other guys look like. The red hair's a dead give away though," Yusuke said, leaning back in the booth seat and putting an arm across the back of the seat, behind Keiko.  
  
"But he really should have been here about ten minutes ago." Botan said quietly. All four turned at the sound of the bell on the door ringing. A tall red-head, perfectly fitting Yusuke's imperfect description, had walked in the door and was looking around.  
  
"Oi! Kurama! Over here!" Yusuke yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. Shuichi Minamino, known as Kurama to a very select few, turned towards the source of the yell and smiled. Weaving through the other tables and café patrons, he made his way over to the booth and sat down next to Botan.  
  
"Sorry, I'm late. One of my classmates asked me if I was going to their game tonight," he apologized, glancing at the menu on the table.  
  
"It's alright," Keiko said, before Yusuke or Kuwabara could say anything. "We were just about to order a snack. Do you want anything?"  
  
~*~ Thirty minutes later, just down the street ~*~  
  
"Hey, Reia, what are we gonna do today?" Suki asked, pulling the elastic band back onto her long, blonde braid.  
  
Reia shrugged. "I have no clue. Maybe we could all go over to my house and start on our homework." The three girls following her stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Reia.  
  
"D-did our Reia, who procrastinates to no end, just say what I think she said?!" Isashi stammered, staring wide-eyed at Narisuki and Tomoko. Both girls nodded.  
  
"Oh, come on! You guys know me better than that. I'd rather be squashed by munchkins than work on homework," the redhead said, waving her hand in the air, then pushing her pony-tailed hair back behind her shoulder.  
  
"Hey, Suki, weren't you telling me earlier that Reia-chan was squashed a few days ago by the kids at the orphanage?" Tomoko asked, turning towards the small blonde.  
  
"Yeah! Aaron and the others were playing Tag and voted Reia to be the base," Suki answered laughing. "Remember, Reia?...Eeeyah!!" Suki was interrupted by Reia starting to chase her. Tomoko and Isashi simply watched the two girls and sighed.  
  
"Um, Reia? About the original question?" Isashi asked, as Reia finally caught hold of Suki's braid.  
  
"Oh right. Well," she said, releasing Suki's hair and counting off on her fingers. "We went shopping yesterday, we're going to the movies tomorrow.how about the arcade?" She looked back at her three friends. "Uh, girls?"  
  
All three stopped their squeals that had started when Reia said 'movies.' You would think two seventeen year olds and a fifteen year old wouldn't squeal when a movie is mentioned.  
  
~I guess THAT rule doesn't apply when the movie has a hot elf-boy.~ Reia thought shaking her head. She sighed as a vision of the elf-boy popped into her head, and then shook her head. "Hey! I can go by myself, ya know.I am the one with the tickets.."  
  
"Arcade sounds good." Isashi said, looking at Reia with puppy-eyes, mentally begging her not to take away the tickets.  
  
Still shaking her head, Reia Hawagashi led the three girls to the arcade. Their school had just led out for the day, with most of the upper classmen going to the soccer game taking place that afternoon. And, although the four of then typically liked watching the guys run around the field in short shorts, Reia was in too restless a mood, particularly after what had happened way too early that same morning.  
  
~That dream.why did I have that dream anyway? I mean, sure some strange stuff ahs been happening lately, but still.~ Reia suddenly snapped out of her mental drifting as she realized Isashi had been trying to get her attention.  
  
"As I was saying, -Reia-, we are here," Isashi said, waving at the arcade. Taking a step closer to Reia, she stared hard at her face. "What wrong with you today? You look really drained."  
  
"Yeah, and you were out of it during school too. What's going on?" Tomoko asked, ever the worried member of the group.  
  
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just.didn't get a lot of sleep last night," Reia said, putting a hand behind her neck. "Really, I'm fine. Now, let's go ruin some game-junkie's scores, ni?" The red-haired girl practically ran inside, tailed closely be the light-brown haired Isashi and black-haired Tomoko. Only Narisuki stayed outside.  
  
~Reia, what's wrong with you? It is because of whatever happened to you last night? ~ Narisuki wondered.  
  
"Hey, Suk!! You comin'?" Reia yelled, poking her head out of the door.  
  
"Yeah, sorry!!" Narisuki said hurriedly, running towards the door.  
  
**Phoenix: Scene switch again! Back to the Reiki Tantei!! And guess where they are? The arcade!!(Clap!) Oh, quick note: Kurama and Kaen don't know that the other is in Ningenkai. Kurama thinks Kaen's in Makai, and Kaen thinks Kurama is dead. Back to story (Clap!!)**  
  
"There is no way you're gonna win this, Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled triumphantly as he blasted past all the other motorcycles, approaching the finish line. The two boys were playing a motorcycle racing game in which the drivers could attack the other drivers with various weapons of pain. Kuwabara's character had effectively used double katanas to slash through the other characters, while Yusuke would attack in less subtle ways with his character's weapon and cycle.  
  
"Oh really? Well, how about this!" Yusuke yelled back, smacking Kuwabara's driver upside the head with his character's staff, and hitting the final speed booster, crossing the finish almost immediately.  
  
"Aaarg! Damn you Urameshi!!" Kuwabara sulked, as the others applauded the two players. Yusuke simply grinned.  
  
"What game are the two of you going to play next?" Kurama asked from his position on one of the unused motorcycle units.  
  
"Why don't you play one with them, Kurama?" Botan asked.  
  
"Yeah, play one of the shooting games with us," Yusuke said, standing up and stretching. "They have a bunch of multiple player ones."  
  
"Hmmm.I don't see why not," Kurama said, following the boys, as they argued over which game to play. Finally, they decided on a game in which you had to shoot various undead characters. Botan and Keiko excused themselves, heading towards the bathrooms.  
  
"This should be good for us," Yusuke said, picking up one of the gun controllers and inserting money to the machine. Kurama and Kuwabara followed his lead, and inserted their money and shooting their guns.  
  
"Ah, man! Somebody's already using it!!" A female voice said from behind them. Since the game was just going through the introduction part, all three boys turned around to see a group of four girls.  
  
**Phoenix: I jump back and forth quickly here. Sorry!**  
  
The four girls were an odd enough mix, almost as strange as the boys' own mix. They were all still wearing their school uniforms and carried their book bags with them. The uniform top was a white long sleeve, collared shirt with a gray sweater vest. Their school ties were strange, long strips of fabric, tied into a bow a little above the waist. All four girls wore Blackwatch plaid pleated skirts that were just short of their knees. The shoes were typical for girls' uniforms: white or grey knee-high sox with black loafers. The uniforms were what one could call cute, with the girls all wearing different number and styles of pins on their ties. Kurama immediately recognized it as the Hitsuyukan Preparatory Academy uniform.  
  
The tallest girl, who looked to be the leader, had shoulder-length red hair that was pulled back into a ponytail with a weird white stripe of hair on her right side. Her jade eyes were glaring at the boys, and her stance was one of someone who knew how to fight. The girl standing just to her right was not much shorter, with light brown hair that hung a little longer and was mostly straight. Her brown eyes stayed locked on the boys, particularly Yusuke.  
  
The other two girls looked faintly frightened, especially the tiny, black haired one. Her dark chocolate colored eyes were as wide as they could be with her pure Japanese heritage. The fourth girl, who was definitely the youngest, stayed close to the redhead, keeping her between herself and the boys. Her hair was a dark blonde that was trapped in a tight braid, and her hazel eyes kept flicking between the redhead and Kurama. She snaked her arm forward to slip her arm around her friend's.  
  
"Reia, it's not worth it. It's just a game. Besides, the dinosaur one's open," she whispered, fear dripping from her words.  
  
"Yeah, it's not worth a fight with the toughest punks of Sarayashiki Junior High," the black haired boy sneered. Reia didn't like his attitude one bit, and shifted her focus to him.  
  
"Oh really? Sarayashiki? And I thought you were a threat," Reia purred, shifting her position to where Narisuki lost her grip on Reia's arm. "I happen to be the only girl who can effectively and consistently keep the boys in line at Hitsuyukan."  
  
"That's because most of the guys there are a bunch of wimps! They always run away from any other gangs!" Kuwabara said, clenching his hand into a fist.  
  
"Technically, they can't run away from other gangs. The guys are usually to busy with athletic training to worry about fighting," Isashi said, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
Before either Yusuke or Kuwabara could say anything, Kurama cut in. "It's very true. Hitsuyukan has a very good athletic department, one of the best in Japan," he said, trying to calm down the situation.  
  
Reia looked at the tall red-haired boy. He was only a few inches taller than she was, maybe 5'8". His hair was red, like hers, but much longer. His green eyes were the darkest and yet brightest she had ever seen. She has been told her eyes were a bright jade, but compared to this boy's, she doubted hers were bright. However, it wasn't just his appearance that Reia noticed; the way her carried himself was almost regal, and his scent was very familiar..  
  
Kurama noticed the way the redhead was looking at him, Reia as her friend had called her. She seemed very familiar to him, yet somehow could not see why.  
  
~Maybe I've seen her at some of the games against Hitsuyukan.~ he thought to himself. ~but her scent is too familiar.~ Kurama tried sifting through the different smells of the room, focusing solely on this girl standing in front of him. ~Spices.like.burnt sweet ash.and.lavender..~ Kurama tried thinking were he had smelt that before, but no matter how far back he reached, he couldn't quite make out where he remembered it from.  
  
"Reia, we gotta go." pleaded the small black-haired girl, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.  
  
Slowly, Reia looked at the girl and made the slightest of nods. "Yeah, let's go," she said turning away from the boys. She mentally relaxed herself, releasing all the reiki that had been building inside her and letting it flow softly from her body.  
  
As the girls walked off, Yusuke grinned to himself. ~Even if she is the toughest girl from her school, she probably wouldn't have beaten me anyways,~ he thought turning back to the game, which was just finishing the opening sequence.  
  
Kurama shook his head, and looked at Kuwabara. The orange-haired punk was watching the four girls walk away with a somewhat worried look on his face. Noticing that no one had joined him in facing down the game zombies, Yusuke turned back around to look at his friends.  
  
"Hey, Kuwabara, what's up?" the black-haired boy said, recognizing the look on Kuwabara's face as the one he makes when his sixth sense kicks in.  
  
"I dunno. I just got this weird feeling that one of those girls wasn't human." Kuwabara stated as the said girls started playing at one of the Skee ball machines. Green eyes and brown eyes locked, then glanced at the black-eyed boy.  
  
"YUSUKE!!" Botan's cry brought the boys back to the world of the arcade as the blue-haired Botan and brown-haired Keiko run up to them. "Yusuke! We need to go now!"  
  
"What's wrong Botan?" Kurama asked. He could both smell and hear the panic in Botan's voice and demeanor.  
  
"We need to get to Reikai!! Koenma just told me that something has happened!!" Botan said, dropping her voice so that only the Reiki Tantei and Keiko could hear her. Onlookers were giving her a dirty look for interrupting their gaming concentration. "One of the Reikai agents came across a dead demon here in Ningenkai! One not authorized to even be here!"  
  
"Well, there goes our afternoon." Yusuke mumbled. "Alright, let's go." Yusuke and company walked quickly out of the arcade, abandoning their game.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Well, what do you think? Not much of a cliffhanger, but eh. Oh well. At least it was a kinda long chapter. Chapter three: A meeting with His Royal Shortness, Prince Enma, Jr. I'll get it done as quickly as possible, since I'm having to take care of my mom, who broke a part of her foot, and I only get to type when she doesn't need me.  
  
A/N (Also known as 'Phoenix, what were you thinking?'): Hitsuyukan is an actual school in Japan. My friend was over there for six months, and this was the name she suggested to me for the story. However, the uniform is the one of the many styles worn at my private high school. They give all sorts of different stuff we can wear and still be in uniform, although some parts are annoying. Stupid ties. Yes, the movie Reia's gang was gonna see is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. That part I wrote the day the movie came out since I was gonna see it that day. The three girls in Reia's gang are based on three of my friends. Narisuki is my adopted sophomore and mini-twin (long story), Lex. Tomoko is based on a Japanese exchange student from my junior year with the same name. Isashi is my 'sis' Esa. Just to letcha know! The whole arcade thing came out instead of the comic shop I was originally gonna use because it would have been easier for the Reia versus Yusuke and Kuwabara verbal battle to be sorta loud, and two, because I am an arcade gamer. And I have played all three of the games I mentioned. If you think you know which one's they are, put your guess in your review!!  
  
And in honor of the wonderful Korume Shiretsu, review responses!!  
  
Squeaker: That was what I was trying to go for. I'm glad you like it!  
  
Mara Jade: My buddie!! Thanks!! By the way, the "Gaah! Lights!" line was my favorite line from chapter one. (She was sitting next to me during open lab, so she told me which line she liked.) 


	3. A Little Too Well Done

Hi Hi!! I'm really excited that people want me to continue this!! As I said earlier, I'm having to type whenever my mom, who broke part of her foot, doesn't need me to do something for her. I was going to put this chapter up yesterday, but it wasn't very Christmas-y. So, yeah. Anyways, on with the story!!  
  
::Caution! I get somewhat grossly descriptive further down. Just to warn you.::  
  
~.~ is thoughts "." is spoken (Japanese usually)  
*.* is random Spanish phrases. Used later when Kaen cusses..as she  
cusses in whatever language I decide she should cuss in.  
  
: Blah stuff: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or much of anything else I mention in here. Except for my Shippô plushie that shows up every now and then..  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Chapter 3: A Little Too Well Done  
  
**Reiki, approximately 6pm**  
  
Koenma pressed a button on his remote controller, pausing the video report he had received a short time ago. One of the Reiki agents had been following two suspects in a recent case involving several artifacts that were supposed to stay in a vault located in Ningenkai when he stumbled upon the mutilated bodies of the suspects. When the call had come in, Koenma immediately sent a team to check the situation out since the Reiki Tantei was out of pocket for the moment.  
  
Therefore, the Great Prince of the Underworld was stuck in his office with the horrific image of a half-cooked demon brain lying on the street in an alley somewhere in Tokyo. The only thing that was worse was although the thieves were there, the artifacts were missing. Again. Koenma whimpered and laid his head down on his desk.  
  
This day couldn't get much worse. Unless of course the Reiki Tantei was suddenly out of the country and Koenma had to deal with this himself. Wonderful.  
  
"Koenma, sir?" George, the blue ogre and Koenma's personal aide said, peering into the Prince's office.  
  
"I told you only to bother me if the Reiki Tantei showed up!" Koenma said, rolling his head so he could glare at the ogre.  
  
"Umm.sir? They're here," George stammered, opening the door so Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Botan could enter. They had decided it would be best if Keiko stayed behind. From what Botan had briefly managed to relay, this was not something Keiko would enjoy seeing. As George closed the door behind them, Yusuke looked at the monitor that hung near the door.  
  
"So, that's our assignment?" Yusuke asked, peering closer at the screen. Since the shot had been taken before sunrise, the image was terribly shadowed.  
  
"Actually, no. Your assignment is to find out why these demons stolen certain artifacts and what killed them," Koenma said, suddenly acting every bit like the Lord he was supposed to be.  
  
"Artifacts?" Kurama asked. "Which artifacts?"  
  
"Not the ones you, Goki, and Hiei stole, that's for certain. Those have been locked away even further in the Royal Vault. These demons apparently stole several holy weapons from one of the shrines in Tokyo, and whatever killed them stole the weapons themselves," Koenma explained.  
  
"What kind of weapons?" Kuwabara asked, leaning up against the wall behind Koenma's desk. "Holy water and spell stickers?"  
  
"I'm afraid the weapons aren't that replaceable. From what I've heard they're various naginatas, katanas, scythes, and other warrior weapons," the Prince of the Underworld said, crossing his arms.  
  
"Pole arms and belted weapons.interesting," Kurama said, his youko kitsune side pouring through all the various demons that typically used weapons like those. "None were found with the bodies?"  
  
Koenma shook his head. "The only thing found with the bodies was the burnt remains of what could have been a message," he stated. Koenma picked up the remote lying on his desk and rewound the video. Once the video reached the beginning, he pressed the play button and motioned for the boys and Botan to get to where they could see.  
  
**Video start**  
  
The images sputtered into a clear view off the Tokyo skyline, before panning down to street level. In the distance, lay two black lumps that smoked slightly. As the camera operator approached the lumps, two bodies, one missing a head and the other oozing its brain, could be seen.  
  
"The suspects were found at 0500 today, but look to have been here for some time, possibly three days," a voice narrated as the camera zoomed in on the headless demon. "Agents have searched the entire area, yet nothing resembling a head has shown up."  
  
From the looks of the body itself, it was surprising that only the head was missing. The carcass had been sliced from the right shoulder to the left hip, and was caked with blood. The intestines, which were still perfectly visible, were fairly charred, as though thrown into a grill and forgotten for a few hours, yet somehow to keep a juicy look. The left shoulder seemed to be in tact, except for the fact that it was ripped from its socket and lay were the head should have been. A single chain link, the kind used for chaining up a dog, was wrapped around the arm, and it too was charred black.  
  
The camera slowly swung around to give an unobstructed of the second body, at which point the narrator continued speaking. "This body, due to its near completeness, allowed for an identification to be made as to demon type. However, considering that Oshi demons are common to find escaping into Ningenkai, it's no wonder that they were found here."  
  
The second body was no more attractive than the first. Although the head was still attached, the skull had a six-inch circular section missing, allowing the brain to spill out onto the ground. The rest of the body was simply sliced repeatedly, with some parts burnt only slightly. Several pieces of leg could be seen nearby, more than likely cut off to prevent the demon from running off as the first was killed. The amount of dried blood on the carcass made it thankfully impossible to determine what was or wasn't hanging out of the body cavity. However, Yusuke was certain he saw the large intestine flopped out of one of the lower body cuts. The face was contorted into a death scream, with blood dried to the demon's jaw. A burn scar on the neck showed that the demon had been choked, possibly with the same chain found on the dislocated arm of the first demon. A few more chain glittered and rusted in the dried pool of blood in which both bodies laid.  
  
"Despite thorough efforts to find any additional suspects or the stolen items, nothing was found other than these remains. A proper search will be conducted upon my lord, the Mighty Prince Koenma's request," the narrator stated, as the video feed crackled out and went blank.  
  
**Video end**  
  
Koenma turned off the video unit and placed the remote on the desk. No one said anything as the images replayed in their heads. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of Botan biting back tears that threatened to give away her horror. Even goddesses of Death have difficult times with the worse forms of destruction. Still, no one, human or otherwise, could manage to say a word.  
  
"And you have *no* idea who did that?" All attention snapped to the dark corner near the door. The shadows shifted to reveal a short, black- haired demon.  
  
"You did that, didn't you, Shrimp?" Kuwabara yelled at Hiei, pointing at him.  
  
"Imbecile. Why would I waste my time on such weak demons?" Hiei stated, red eyes glaring at Kuwabara.  
  
"Besides, if he did kill those two, there wouldn't even be carcasses left," Yusuke said, rubbing his forehead with the back of his head to signal 'Jagan eye.' Hiei responded by grunting.  
  
"You mentioned a message had been found near the bodies," Kurama said, turning to Koenma. "What did it say?"  
  
"I don't know. It was written in a Makai dialect that isn't in any of our records," Koenma said, sifting through the stack of papers on his desk. "This was all we were able to copy off the paper before it disintegrated," he said, handing the copy over to the former thief.  
  
Kurama held the paper to where he could read over it. He was on the verge of reading it a third time when Yusuke interrupted, asking what it said.  
  
"Whoever copied this miswrote some of the characters, but I recognize the style for the most part," Kurama said. "It's a northern form of the characters."  
  
"Well then, Kitsune, what does it say?" Hiei asked, leaning against the wall as Yusuke, Kuwabara and Botan crowed around the tall boy.  
  
"From what I can read, it says, 'Since I know quite well that Prince Enma will receive this, I have very little doubt that he can read this. However, if that brat can find a way to understand this, I have only this to say to you in the time I have: the items which these poor excuses for thieves have stolen are now in my care, and shall remain there until I find out what I want to know. Until that time or until the Brat figures out who I am, then the items shall be well hidden. The information I am seeking is no real concern of yours. Just know that should you find me, do not expect to stop me easily. The only person who would be able to stop me is..'"  
  
"Is who, Kurama?" Botan asked.  
  
The boy shook his head. "I can't read any more of it. The rest was probably burnt off."  
  
"At least we know that whoever killed the demons stole the items," Kuwabara said.  
  
"The Imbecile finally says something intelligent," Hiei murmured. Kurama smirked; he had heard that comment perfectly.  
  
"Where was all this found?" Yusuke asked, looking at Koenma. Koenma said nothing, but his face was steaming.  
  
"Sir?" Botan asked, leaning towards Koenma, who face was beginning to match the color of Kurama's hair.  
  
"That.that.arrogant.overconfident." Koenma growled. "YUSUKE!!! Get out there now and find that prat!!" The Holy Prince screamed pointing at the door.  
  
"Where was all this found, though?" Yusuke asked again, annoyed that The Royal Potty-Trainee was directing his tantrum at him.  
  
"YOU'RE THE DETECTIVE!! YOU FIGURE IT OUT!!!" Koenma screamed, before dropping into his chair and spinning it away from the three stunned 'humans', one speechless ferrywoman, and one smirking fire demon. The five looked at each other, before quietly leaving the office.  
  
**Yusuke's house, about 8pm**  
  
After witnessing the Royal Tantrum, it was decided that Botan would stay up in Reiki and figure out what she could, while the boys returned to Yusuke's, since his mother was on a liquor sampling road trip. The boys were gathered in Yusuke's room, all sitting in various, uncluttered spaces. They had been questioning Kurama as to what exactly the note had said, hoping that he hadn't left anything out. Continuously, the answer they received was that Kurama had read everything the note said, and there was nothing in it that pointed to who the person, demon or no, was.  
  
"The only connection that can be made is that this person does not approve of Koenma," Kurama said softly from his seat at Yusuke's rather unused desk. He had turned the chair so that he was sitting sideways in the chair, with his elbow propped up on the desk.  
  
"Who does approve of the Toddler?" Yusuke asked, staring up at his ceiling as he kicked the blanket off his bed.  
  
All the boys turned to the window, except for Hiei, who had to abandon his position in the window and unlatch the window. As the fire demon stepped out of the way, Botan sailed into the room astride her oar. After landing, the ferry woman sat at the end of Yusuke's bed and placed her oar on the ground.  
  
"Well?" Yusuke asked, as he was forced to sit up so Botan wouldn't sit on his feet.  
  
The lavender-haired girl took a breath before answering. "I managed to find out where the attack occurred, and that Koenma arranged for it to be hidden from Ningen who could possibly stumble on the scene," she explained, looking at all four pairs of eyes that were focused on her.  
  
"Fun. A road trip," Yusuke mumbled. "So much for a free weekend."  
  
"We should get going if we want to get there with some light to spare," Hiei said, glancing out the window as the sun began its slow setting. The others nodded and stood up, except for Kuwabara, for sat on the floor, staring at his knees.  
  
"What is it?" Yusuke asked, prodding Kuwabara with his foot. The tall boy shifted his gaze up to look at Yusuke.  
  
"You remember that girl from earlier? The one at the arcade?" Kuwabara asked.  
  
"The annoying one? What about her?"  
  
"She isn't human."  
  
"You said that earlier."  
  
Kuwabara sighed. "Maybe I'm just guessing, but do you think she's the one we're looking for?"  
  
"Are you kidding? I didn't sense anything from her," Yusuke sneered. "Anyway, let's go. Koenma yelling at us was annoying enough once."  
  
"Are you coming?" Botan's precise accent floated back through the house to them.  
  
"Sure," Yusuke said, as Kuwabara stood up next to him, and walked out of the house.  
  
* ~ * ~ *  
  
"The boss will be very happy this time, right?"  
  
"Yeah. After losing those weapons, Uron and Nukat were lucky to have been killed," came the response as the two Oshi entered the open-air carrying bags filled with various daggers and hand-sized scythes. The demons grinned to themselves as they hurried along the rows of warehouses and alleys.  
  
"No one would dare to attack us! Not with these," the first demon laughed, the sound harsh and grating in the silence of the night air.  
  
As the demons passed one of the many alleyways, a shadow separated from the darkness and crept along behind the two demons.  
  
~No one, hmmm? Too bad I'm not just anyone.~ the shadowed figure thought, as slender hands gripped the length of silver chain forming around one black-clothed arm. The hunter allowed a quiet chuckle to escape as the footsteps of the two demon prey slowed to a stop just around the corner.  
  
The hunter crept closer to the corner, making no sound, despite the loose pants and heavy boots. ~It is time, my prey, to give your precious treasures over to me.~ Uncoiling a section of chains from around one arm, the hunter dropped into a crouch.  
  
Neither Oshi saw the chains come until their bodies were pierced by the silver metal, their blood splashing on the moonlit ground.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Hehehe..I'm evil. Cliffie!!! Yet this was the fastest chapter to write. Gomen nasai about the description of the video. I watched Pirates of the Caribbean today. Those cursed pirates kinda put weird mostly dead images in your head. Hehehe.Plus I like JP. Rarr!!  
  
A/N (Also known as 'Phoenix, what were you thinking?'): 1. 'Naginata' is Japanese for 'glaive', which is a weapon similar to a scythe, except the staff is four to five feet long usually with a long metal blade capping the staff. This definition comes from Tamora Pierce, and was the best I could find. See a pic of Sailor Saturn if you're more visual. She carries a glaive. 2. 'Oshi' means 'dumb people' in Japanese. You know that demon that showed up when Yusuke and Kuwabara find out about the Saint Beasts? That one that Botan whapped with a baseball bat? I have dubbed that an Oshi demon. If it has a real name, let me know. 3. Koenma and a Royal Tantrum.is anyone not surprised? 4. Precious.Hehehe."They gots it! They have the precious!! Stupid, fat, Hobbitsies!!" (I couldn't get this line out of my head all day, so I had to use 'precious' at some point.)  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Review Responses:  
  
*Hotaru Noel: My first stories were the cliché OC types. I guess writing those and realizing how annoying they can be made me stop. Oh well. See The Battle Fought for an example of how pathetic I was..  
  
*Kurome Shiretsu: I don't mind at all!! I was so excited when I saw your review!! Sorry about misspelling your name.is it supposed to mean 'black bud'? I really thought hard before starting this. I wanted to make sure I got the relation thing to work. I glad it drew you in!! Hehe.Kaen.definitely my fave OC that I've written. Just wait to see about her 'tude though. Thankx for putting my on your favorites list!! I'm really, really happy!! =^_^=!!  
  
Until next time!! Ja!! Meow!! =^_^=!! I go sleep now. Ick..11:18p... 


	4. Illusions and Fox Magic

Phoenix: This is the ACTUAL chapter four!! **Ducks as various items are thrown at her.**  
  
Sorry this took so long. I was having a hard time figuring out what to do for this chapter, since I was planning out the following one. That and trying not to spill stuff to Isashi and yet explain her part. Well, Happy New Years!! 2004!! Five months until I graduate!!! Woot!!  
  
~.~ is for thoughts "." is spoken (Japanese usually)  
*.* is for random Spanish phrases. Used later when Kaen cusses..as she  
cusses in whatever language I decide she should cuss in. **.** is for Phoenix's random author notes or location specifications. In case you didn't catch that. Gomen.  
  
: Blah stuff: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or much of anything else I mention in here. Except for my Shippô plushie that shows up every now and then..  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Chapter 4: Illusions and Fox Magic  
  
**Alleyway behind warehouses, 10pm**  
  
"This certainly looks like the place," Kurama said, stepping under one of the few streetlights.  
  
The alley was nearly pitch black, just as the video had shown, due mainly to the warehouses blocking out any additional light. The Reiki Tantei had arrived only a few moments before, yet the scene before their eyes was not what they had been shown in Koenma's office. In fact, this alley looked completely untouched, leaving the four boys and one girl completely confused.  
  
"Figures. We get sent to the wrong place! How's this gonna help?" Yusuke said, dropping into his typical attitude stance and scratching his head. His comment was met with nothing less than a death glare from Botan.  
  
"Perhaps there's more to this than meets the eye," Kurama said glancing at Hiei. "Do you see anything?"  
  
Hiei grunted in response. "The only thing I see is." the fire demon took a step forward, before smirking to himself. It had only been a tiny flicker, but it had been there all the same. Quickly, Hiei untied his bandana, the purple-iris of the Jagan eye flashing open. Putting the bandana somewhere within the folds of his cloak, the Jaganshi walked towards the center of the alleyway, disappearing from sight.  
  
"W-What?!" Kuwabara and Botan both said as the remaining four all stared at the space that had previously been occupied by the little demon.  
  
The four exchanged looks of confusion, before Yusuke stepped forward. Cautiously, he stuck his hand out where Hiei had disappeared and yelped in surprise as his own hand vanished. The Spirit Detective pulled his arm back, and once realizing his hand still existed, he looked back at the others.  
  
"An illusion."Kurama said as he approached Yusuke. "A very good one at that." the kitsune said as he stepped through the illusion. Immediately, his body was wrapped in warmth unlike any other. One second, it was unbearably scorching; the next, the soft warmth of a summer day. As soon as he exited the boundary, Kurama looked at the demon standing a few feet away. "This.is not a regular illusion."  
  
"Indeed," Hiei agreed, as Yusuke, Botan, and finally Kuwabara stepped through the illusion.  
  
"That was weird," Kuwabara stated, then looked past where Hiei stood. "The bodies!" He shrieked, pointing at the ground ten feet in front of him.  
  
Certainly enough, just past where Hiei stood laid the two horribly mangled, burned and otherwise unpleasant looking bodies they had spent the last two hours traveling to find. Thankfully, the bodies hadn't started to decay, but that gave very little reassurance.  
  
"How can anyone just leave the bodies?" Botan whispered, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve.  
  
"Because whoever did this, wanted us to know," Yusuke said, walking around the bodies to where Kurama was kneeling. The redhead's face was hidden by a curtain of hair, but he was shaking somewhat. "Hey, Kurama, what's wrong?"  
  
Kurama shook his head, and looked up at his friend. "Nothing. I thought I recognized something, but I was mistaken," he said, faking a smile. When Yusuke nodded and went to look at the second body, Kurama glanced down at his hand, which was he had closed into a fist when Yusuke walked to him.  
  
As soon as he had seen the video, Kurama was interested in the chains that had been used against the two demons. Through his existence, he had only known one demon who could manipulate metal and who favored chains. Kurama could only know if he could hold a part of the chains himself. Using a shortened Rose Whip, Kurama had managed to cut an un-bloodied link off one of the chains. And now, as he looked at the link, he was certain he did recognize the chains.  
  
~But why would this? She never liked killing.. ~ Kurama thought to himself. ~Unless, someone is trying to frame her.~ Kurama's eyes went wide as he caught the scent of fresh blood and. ~Metal!!~  
  
"Yusuke!!" Kurama yelled, jumping to his feet and racing off in the direction of the scent.  
  
Much to his credit, Yusuke turned immediately as his name was called and charged off after Kurama, Kuwabara and Botan following. Hiei, he knew, was probably already at their destination.  
  
**Phoenix: And know.we switch!! (Tries to clap, misses and baps herself in the nose) Owwie.**  
  
"If you stayed still, it wouldn't hurt as much," the dark figure growled. One of her prey had already tried to escape, and was burnt because of his efforts. The second was somewhat smarter, but still struggled, bare skin scorching as it touched red-hot metal.  
  
"What do you want from us?" the remaining Oshi whimpered as his captor sauntered over to him.  
  
"First, I want information. If you cooperate, your death with be less.messy." the figure whispered, face close to the Oshi, who whimpered louder. Close to laughing, the hunter leaned closer and asked, "Why is your master gathering weapons? Holy ones at that? No demon can use them."  
  
"He wouldn't tell us," the Oshi said quickly. "He only told us to steal holy Ningen weapons so he can force." Suddenly, the Oshi's eyes went large and the color drained from his face. His body spasmed and went limp, charring itself against the chains wrapped around the Oshi.  
  
"Shit. A Silencer Spell.double shit," the figure growled, and pushed off the hood covering silver hair. "I'm not going to learn anything with the bastard killing his own minions. That's three already." she said running a hand on the back of her neck. "Damn."  
  
Bending down, the kitsune started collecting her chains, silver hair slipping over her shoulder and brushing against the blood still oozing out of the Oshi's burn wounds. "Shit, this'll take forever to get out." she muttered, pulling her hair back with one hand and the chains with the other. She flicked her right wrist upward and the chains retracted into a silver bracelet on her arm. Satisfied with what clean up she could do, the kitsune pulled her hood back up and muttered a quick concealment spell. Before she could perform any sort of transformation, her ears caught the sound of footsteps. Very fast footsteps.  
  
"Shit!" she hissed and grabbed the bag of weapons she stole from the Oshi. Then she turned and ran down the alley, quickly transforming into a human as she did so. ~How could I be so stupid! The Brat's stupid, but he has that bloody Reiki Tantei Team! How the hell did I NOT remember them?!~, she yelled at herself as she disappeared around the far corner of the alleyway.  
  
**Phoenix: Scene cha.wait, no, never mind. (Sits back down) Continue.**  
  
Yusuke turned the corner, followed closely by the other two boys and Botan riding her oar. He put a hand against the wall and doubled over, breathing hard. "Who knew.running for.four blocks..hurt so damn much!" he gasped out as Kuwabara sat on the ground trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Hn. No matter how fast you ran, you still didn't catch the culprit," Hiei said, nodding down the alley.  
  
"Did you see him, Hiei?" Kurama asked, straightening back up. Regaining breath was somewhat easier for him, due mainly to the fact that his kitsune self had come to the fore on this expedition.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well spit it out, Small Fry!" Kuwabara yelled, still sitting on the ground.  
  
"A kitsune," came the answer, and all eyes fell on Kurama.  
  
"What? A.kitsune?" Kurama asked, looking at the others.  
  
"Yes. A female one who can manipulate metal," Hiei said stepping over to the freshly dead Oshi bodies. "These burns have a link shape to them."  
  
The three boys stepped closer to Hiei, as Botan escaped around the corner to call in to Koenma to update him. Everyone flinched as Koenma's high-pitched scream erupted from Botan's Communication Mirror.  
  
"Kurama, doesn't that sound.familiar to you?" Hiei asked, looking straight into Kurama's emerald eyes.  
  
"Yes, but it would be impossible." Kurama whispered, looking down at the ground. "She would never leave Makai."  
  
"Are you certain?"  
  
"Hiei, I know my own sister as much as you do yours. Kaen would never kill for her own wishes. She isn't like that," Kurama growled at his teammate, silver streaks slowly appearing amid the scarlet strands.  
  
"Whoa! Guys, calm down, particularly you, Kurama," Yusuke said, holding his hands up and glancing skyward. ~Full moon. I thought so. ~ Yusuke looked at Kurama. "You have a sister?"  
  
"Yes, but she would never." Kurama trailed off. He clenched his fists, the chain link growing hot in his palm. "She would have no reason."  
  
"We're not saying your sister would have anything to do with this, but she IS the top possibility right now," Yusuke said, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Can't we just ask her?" Kuwabara asked, finally standing on his feet.  
  
Kurama shook his head. "I don't know where she is, or if she is even using the name Kaen now."  
  
As Kuwabara started to open his mouth, Botan came back around the corner. "Good news, everyone! Lord Koenma said he knows who is stealing the artifacts!"  
  
Four pairs of eyes stared at the lavender haired girl, all suddenly remembering she was with them.  
  
"Who?" Kurama asked, relieved that he was no longer the center of attention.  
  
"A demon named Heiki-atsumari. According to this, he's apparently a holy weapons collector who will sell Ningen weapons to any demon who pay the most, and then keeps the payment when the holy seals on the weapons kill the buyer. He's said to know form of magic and should be dealt with carefully," Botan read from her 'Who's Who' book. "At least this time, you have some information."  
  
"But who did this?" Yusuke demanded, motioning at the bodies behind him. Botan gasped at the sight and dropped her book. "And where do we find Heiki-whatever?"  
  
"Heiki-atsumari, and no one seems to know. He's difficult to find, but these Oshi are wearing his seal," Botan said, picking her book back up and putting it into her kimono sleeve.  
  
"I knew it! There's always a catch!" Yusuke said, throwing his hands up into the air.  
  
"Did Koenma say anything about a portal to Makai somewhere close?" Kurama asked.  
  
"No, why would.." Botan started, but stopped as a light bulb went off in her head. "Of course! If all four bodies were found HERE, then there should be a portal so the Oshi could get back to Makai!"  
  
"And most portals are set near the final destination to make coming and going easier," Kurama finished.  
  
"Bingo! So we should look around here for a portal entrance!" Botan said excitement causing her to grip her oar tighter.  
  
"Fool," Hiei said curtly. "Don't you realize that rushing in without a plan will only get someone killed?"  
  
"He's right," Yusuke said.  
"Yeah, and we can look for the killer first," Kuwabara said, nodding. He whipped his head around and looked at Yusuke. "Did I just agree with the Shrimp?"  
  
"Well, it's too late to start anything now. It must be near midnight," Botan said, looking at her watch. The four boys agreed by nodding, or in Hiei's case, grunting.  
  
As the five went their separate ways, Botan flying up to Reikai, Hiei running off to Genkai's probably, and the two boys heading home, Kurama stopped for a moment.  
  
~Kaen.please prove me wrong. I thought you stayed in Makai, but I want to be wrong, my sister.~ Kurama whispered silently. He turned his face towards the full moon, emerald eyes turning gold in the moonlight. ~Please.~  
  
"Hey, Kurama! You coming?" Yusuke yelled back. He and Kuwabara were already half way down the next alleyway, but stopped to wait for their friend.  
  
"Hai," Kurama responded, looking at them. He glanced back up at the moon, nodded, then race towards his friends.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
I'm happy. I got to have cursing..Gods, I keep writing Hiei's parts and thinking, 'Gee, he speaks just as much as Heero Yuy.and they look alike.' I wanted to end this chapter with a poem, but I will wait until the next one to have poetry. Chapter five should be easier, since it will be based off my own school experiences. For the most part. I promise that chapter five shall be more light-hearted. Three and Four started getting me depressed.Oh well.moving on.And yes, I have bapped myself in the nose trying to do a scene-switch clapping thing. But that's another story entirely..  
  
A/N (Also known as 'Phoenix, what were you thinking?'): 1. Hehehe.poor Botan. She's a Goddess of Death, but the Oshi corpses were too gross. Then again, I probably would be following her lead. 2. I'll get more into the illusions and chain later, but the chain is a fire chain and needs more room for explanation. 3. Hehehe.Kitsune sighting.she was in demon form because of the full moon, but Kurama was only affected when he started getting angry. And later, because he was looking directly at the moon. 4. Okay, I am a bit lame. Heiki-atsumari loosely means 'weapons collection.' I was desperate!! Later, he'll be called either Heiki-atsumari or Heiki-sama, especially by his minions. But I need description ideas. Help?  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Review Responses:  
  
Shiranai Seito: Thank you!!  
  
Lya: Here's the update/continuation!!  
  
Kurome Shiretsu: Wow.long review.thanks for all the info!! I'll definitely use it!! 


	5. The Red Poppy

Hi. I hope you haven't forgotten me. I realize I haven't updated in five months, but Senior year, second semester was a pain in the ass. Between homework, college applications and acceptances, softball, and classes in general, the most I was able to do with CoT was write in my little journal and try to do some drawings. I also had a hard time just finishing this chapter. I knew how I wanted it to end, but getting there was a pain. But as you can see, I did it. Naming this chapter took some time too. And the title makes sense at the end of the chapter.  
  
Oh! I have a very special guest in this chapter! Because she has been an awesome person to e-mail and she has a kick-ass fic, I wrote in Kurome Shiretsu!! With her consent, of course. Yay for Kurome-san!! ==!!  
  
... is for thoughts "..." is spoken (Japanese usually) ... is random author notes or location specifications.  
  
:Blah stuff: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or "The Red Poppy" by Louise Gluck. Any bad puns are unintentional. I have already been pun-ished. == R&R!! Myao!  
  
Chapter 5: The Red Poppy  
  
"Suki! Hurry it up! We're gonna be late!" Reia yelled up the main stairway. Mornings were far from quiet at the Hawagashi Orphanage. To make matters worse, it was a Monday morning. As with most young people, Reia was greatly annoyed at that fact. And yelling tended to be a good way to deal with annoyance.  
  
"Just a minute, alright?!" Narisuki yelled back, leaning over the banister outside her room. "I can't find my music folder!"  
  
Reia rolled her eyes. "Isn't it in your book bag where it's supposed to be?" she said leaning against the railing.  
  
"I looked in there and it's not...wait..." Suki's door flew open, revealing a very ecstatic blonde, the renegade folder in hand. "I found it!" She yelled triumphantly, flashing a victory sign.  
  
"I told you it was in there..." Reia said, shaking her head. She folded her arms across her chest. The youko in her recognized the possibility of danger moments before the ningen. Opening her eyes quickly, Reia ducked as Suki's shoe sailed over her head and landed somewhere near the front door.  
  
Reia glanced up at Narisuki, grinned and batted her eyes innocently before walking towards the kitchen. Unseen, Narisuki stuck out her tongue and placed a finger under her eye. --  
  
"Both of you shut up and come eat!" Mona Hawagashi yelled from the kitchen. Mona, despite being an orphanage manager/owner for about 25 years, was still beautiful and very much in shape. It was said around the orphanage that her strong figure came from herding the twelve children currently under her care, particularly Reia.  
  
"Gomen nasai, Mona-chan, but Suki's gonna make us late again!" Reia said, walking into the kitchen and sitting down at the table. "I mean, we still have to pick up Isashi."  
  
"That doesn't mean you two should yell at each other every morning," Mona said, scooping sweetened rice into a bowl and placing it in front of Reia. "You and Suki need to set an example for the younger ones."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," the redhead mumbled, her spoon halfway in her mouth.  
  
"Fix your tie."  
  
Reia sighed, and put down her breakfast. As she flipped her collar up, Narisuki ran into the kitchen, hopping to pull her suddenly floppy sock back up to her knees. Reia grinned at Narisuki, who glared back.  
  
"What are you two fighting about this time?" Mona asked, setting a glass of juice down next to Reia's cereal bowl.  
  
"Oh the usual. Suki's being blonde and forgetting where her stuff is," the red-head replied, reaching for her juice...  
  
...and closing around air as Suki grabbed the glass and drank from it. "Bite me," Suki stated and sat down with Reia's juice.  
  
"Okay," Reia responded, grinning. Both girls stuck out their tongues, acting every bit the mature young ladies they were supposed to be.  
  
"Behave, you two..." Mona said, handing both girls plates and other breakfast ware so they could set the table and start feeding the children. Suki grabbed the silverware and napkins, leaving Reia with the plates and bowls. Reia grinned; if she had to place the plates, Suki got to do dishes...suddenly this morning wasn't so bad after all.  
  
Since the orphanage housed eight children, two adults, and two near- adults, eating was always entertaining. The main dining room had been a living room at one point, before an extension had been built onto the front of the building to allow for additional room. A long, low wooden table ran down the center of the room, surrounded by twelve cushions, each of which mandated how much room the cushion's occupant could use. Not having much space had stopped bothering Reia and Suki, who tended to retreat to Reia's basement room when breathing room was in short supply.  
  
As the girls finished placing and the breakfast ware, Mona backed into the room laden down with a plate full of toast, which Reia helped her ease onto the table. Suki returned to the kitchen for the butter dish, as Mona walked to the stairs to call the rest of the inhabitants of the Hawagashi Orphanage to breakfast. A mob of children, ranging in age from five to eleven, raced past her, all dumping their various backpacks, jackets, and what-have-you in the entry hall. The orphanage matriarch sighed as the trampling herd made its way into the dining room.  
  
"Reia-san, Reia-san! I hafta show ya somfing!" Mona heard one of the children yell at the eldest girl.  
  
"Hold on, kiddo. Let's get everyone their food first," Reia said patiently. She turned to the young boy, and straightened his twisted shirt. "Now, what do you want to eat, Aren?"  
  
Due to the sheer number of orphans, the eldest four had decided to split up the children to three per person. Mona and her husband had proposed it to the girls as a way to earn money without having to petition for the permission to have a job outside of school. All they had to do was tutor and look after their three charges. Eventually, Reia and Suki found that having to dress their charges became an additional chore.  
  
"Reia-san! This is more 'mportant!" Aren cried, hanging onto the redhead's sleeve. Reia responded by shoving a bowl of rice towards the seven year old.  
  
"Eat first," she ordered, pushing him down into his seat. "Then you can show me." The reluctant Aren glared and stuffed rice into his mouth as fast as his chopsticks could go.  
  
"That's not what I meant, kiddo." Reia sighed and shook her head as she passed out bowls of rice to the other children and adults, who had just taken their places at the table.  
  
"Ca' Ah tell yuff nowff?" Aren asked through a mouthful of rice. Bits of rice that couldn't fit in his mouth clung to his face and lips.  
  
"Fine. Whatever," Reia replied, lifting her rice-filled chopsticks to her own mouth. She looked at the black haired seven-year-old as he swallowed his rice and turned around. When he turned back, the triumphant Aren held...  
  
"MY SHOE!!" Suki yelled, grabbing it out of Aren's hands as she walked around behind him. The empty plates she had been carrying clattered to the floor, thanks to their plastic nature.  
  
"No! Mine! I found it in the hall! Give it back, Suki!!" the seven- year-old yelled, the triumphant grin gone.  
  
Reia put her head in her hands. I figured something like this would happen today, she thought to herself. "Aren, you'd look awfully funny wearing a girl's size 8 shoe," she sighed, not looking at either Aren or Suki.  
  
Aren stuck out his tongue at Suki and Reia, before sitting down, looking every bit the dejected child.  
  
Ten minutes drifted by in relative silence, shouting only occurring when so-and-so ate who-ever's food. Mona and the girls asked the younger children questions about how their classes were going. The answers ranged according to child, naturally, with only one squabble between the ten-year- old twins, who disagreed on the difficulty of learning English words.  
  
"And what about you, Aren-chan?" Mona asked, looking at the child, who ducked his head. For as loud as he was around Reia and Suki, he was rather shy when adults were around.  
  
"Ummm...we're learning how to tell time," he muttered into his juice glass.  
  
"Oh really?" Mona asked, acting every bit the mother of all. One of the first things she asked every child who entered the orphanage to do was to call her "Okaasan." So far, all but Reia called her by that name. "Well, can you tell me what time it is now?"  
  
"Okay..." Aren stared at the clock that hung on the wall behind Suki. "It is...7:45 and a half!"  
  
"A-chan, it can't be "and a half." There's no such thing," Suki said, shaking her head.  
  
"But it does say that!" Aren cried, pointing at the clock. "The baby hand is between 7 an' 8, and the mommy hand is at 45 and a half!!"  
  
Suki and Reia looked at each other, and then slowly turned towards the clock hanging behind the blonde. Both pairs of eyes grew large as they read the clock.  
  
"Gotta go!" Reia yelled, as she and Suki raced to collect their bags and bikes.  
  
Phoenix: And now we advance to the girls arriving at school. I had an actual part in here, but it was unneeded crap. All that is needed is for you to know the girls picked up Isashi on the way to school.  
  
Hitsuyukan Prep. Academy, 8:05am  
  
"Later, Suki!" Reia yelled, as she tried to wave and finish chaining up her bike at the same time. Isashi echoed Reia and waved at Suki, who was entering the school building.  
  
"Come on, come on..." Reia muttered at the lock. She pushed her white streak of hair back from her face. How come locking these damn things is so hard for me! Opening's easy, but why the hell must locking be difficult!!, she thought as the lock refused to allow its other half in. Reia glanced up towards Isa, who was digging through her purse. The redhead smirked, and then moved so her body blocked Isa's view of the bike lock.  
  
Reia placed her fingertip on the lock opening, allowing her senses to explore the metallic composition. A slight tingling sensation filled her finger, letting her know that the metal was under her control. She reached down to pick up the other half of the lock and placed the tip near the opening. Then again, locks were never that difficult in Makai, Reia thought as the kitsune in her controlled the metal. She smiled as she dropped the lock, which was now more secure than any human technology would allow.  
  
"Reia, you ready?" Isa asked, looking at her watch. Reia nodded and followed her brown-haired friend inside.  
  
Once inside, both girls opened their backpacks and changed from their street shoes into their school shoes. Reia, who never liked shoes that tied when she was in a hurry, finished before Isa, but waited for her friend. As Isa stood up, the warning bell sounded, telling all students to report to their homerooms. The girls ran, falling in line with the rest of the latecomers.  
  
"Hurry up, hurry up," they heard one of the teachers yell as students streamed into classrooms.  
  
"Glad you could be here today, but move faster! Inoue, Hawagashi, why am I not surprised you two are late?" Both girls looked up as they turned into their homeroom.  
  
"Gomen nasai, sensei," Isa replied, Reia echoing.  
  
"Just get inside," their teacher sighed, marking both girls as present. The girls made slight bows, and then walked calmly to their desks in the middle of the room.  
  
"Welcome. Didn't think you two would make it," a voice with a slight Castilian-Spanish accent said as Reia and Isa took their places. Isa turned around to glare at the speaker as Reia looked to the side.  
  
"And how often do you come late again, Mari?" asked Reia, resting her head on her hand.  
  
Mariposa Hiedra waved an olive-tanned hand dramatically. "Now, now. That's completely different," she said, tossing her long, dark-brown hair. "I happen to have swim practice every morning and afternoon."  
  
"I have tennis every afternoon, too," Isashi stated. "And Reia has to look after her orphans when she's at home, right?"  
  
Reia nodded, then turned to face the front as the classroom door was closed by the class president. Another day... she thought to herself as she pulled out the reading they had been assigned for homework. She was half listening to the mild spat behind her as the announcements for the day began. She only came out of her daze long enough to hear the messages that were important to her and to hear the bell signaling the end of homeroom. Students continued talking as they packed their things and moved onto their respective classes.  
  
Phoenix: Another shortened scene. And an introduction of a semi-important character. Hehehe...(hides in fear of Mariposa) Continue!!  
  
Cafeteria, 12:25p  
  
"Thank God for lunch breaks!" Reia sighed, dropping into her customary chair at her customary table.  
  
"I know. Today's been so long!" Isa said, sitting down a few chairs away. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a plastic bag bearing the label, "Thank you!" After fiddling with the knot made of the bag handles, the brown-haired girl removed an apple, a soda can, and a very squished turkey sandwich in a zip bag.  
  
"You seriously need a lunchbox..." her friend stated, removing a garnet- red vinyl lunch box from her own backpack.  
  
"Well..." Isa shrugged as Mariposa and Tomoko with Narisuki in tow made their way across the cafeteria to the circular table Isa and Reia were sitting at.  
  
"Hey, punks," Reia and Isa offered as a greeting in unison, grinning at each other.  
  
Mariposa slammed her binder onto the table, nearly causing Reia's open soda to spill. "I am not a punk! I am Zanthar, Bell ringer for the Dead and Queen of the Fallen!!" She thrust a finger towards the two startled girls. "You shall fear and worship me!!" With her final proclamation, the self-appointed Queen of the Fallen stormed off to claim a chair from an underclassman's table.  
  
"Lemme guess. Pop quiz in Math?" Suki asked, placing her binder on top of Reia's and sitting between her foster sister and Isa.  
  
"No. Just Math class," Tomoko answered, as Mariposa returned and flopped into her newly captured chair. Tomoko, ever the calm member of the group, sat down next to Mariposa, who was glaring at her sandwich.  
  
"What happened this time?" Isa asked, ripping off a chunk of her turkey-bread blob.  
  
"Evil witch!" Mariposa yelled, stabbing her lunch with Reia's spork.  
  
"Who, your teacher or your food?" Reia asked, reclaiming her spork. "If you meant your food, you need to be pun-ished."  
  
All the girls except for Reia groaned.  
  
"Is Reia-san making bad jokes again?" asked a sandy-blonde, as she placed her lunch down next to Isashi. Reia grinned in reply. "I figured as much..."  
  
"Haven't seen you around much lately, Kirsten," Isa said, sliding over to give the newcomer more room.  
  
"I've been doing a lot of working," Kirsten answered. "But with the summer coming, I'll actually get to goof off with you guys."  
  
"Even though some people goof off all the time," Suki said, glancing at Reia.  
  
"Silence you," Reia ordered, putting Suki into a loose chokehold and ruffling her hair.  
  
"Ahh!! Off! OFF!!" Suki screeched, batting Reia's hand away.  
  
"Stop harassing your foster sister," Kirsten sighed, putting her empty plate to the side. "Where is everyone today?"  
  
Tomoko took a drink of her water before answering. She was the best one at keeping track of the group's schedules. "Ilia isn't coming, Terra's not here today, and Kurome should be coming," she reported.  
  
"Big surprise on Ilia," Mari said sarcastically. "That guy's completely antisocial. Genius on the piano, but antisocial."  
  
Reia nodded in agreement. "At least Kurome's coming. I need to talk to her."  
  
"You mean bug her about updating her fic," Suki said.  
  
"Hey, I'm worse than she is about that," Reia responded.  
  
Phoenix: Hehe...(sweatdrop)  
  
Isashi looked up from her sandwich ball. "Speak of the devil..."  
  
"And up she pops, to quote Terra," Kurome finished, coming up to the table.  
  
"We were wondering when you'd get here," Reia said. "I want to talk with you."  
  
"Oh, Reia!" Kurome ran around to the redhead, a short stack of papers in hand. "I finished reading your short story."  
  
"And?" Reia asked, taking a sip from her soda and taking the papers from her blonde friend.  
  
"I loved it! It was so good! You need to write more of those!" Kurome said.  
  
"Thanks for the feedback," Reia said, putting her lending copy into her binder, from which it was promptly removed by Mariposa. "Thief," Reia stated.  
  
"By the way, I am going to be working on my fic more since the summer's coming, and I expect you to do the same," Kurome said, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Alright, alright, I will," Reia answered, holding her hands in an "I surrender" position. "Aw crap, it's time to go."  
  
All seven girls looked at the clock as the lunch monitor told everyone to clean up their tables. The girls all silently cursed the white haired American woman who also taught French language and literature, and picked up their things, abandoning their conversations for a later time.  
  
Upstairs hallway, 3:30pm  
  
"One more class, and we're free for the weekend!" Mari shouted, throwing her arms in the air. She grinned at her friends, who all rolled their eyes.  
  
"Hold on, guys," Isa said as she walked towards the lockers. She stopped at one that was plastered with various signs written the girls and popped the lock. "Anyone hungry?"  
  
Reia and Tomoko walked up next to the brown-haired girl and looked in. It had been Mariposa's idea two years prior to claim an unoccupied locker as the group's food locker and stash various snacks in there. The only rule tended to be if you removed food, you had to donate food. However, the Hispanic girl tended to be the only one who brought food. Reia and Isa usually ate the food before it reached the locker.  
  
Mariposa leaned against the next locker glaring at underclassmen who dared look at her. "Are you guys –actually- wanting to be late to class?" she drawled, glaring at a first year girl.  
  
"Knock it off," Reia said, smacking Mariposa's shoulder. "And since when have you cared about being late? You're the newspaper editor, for cryin' out loud."  
  
"True. Sensei doesn't care if we're late," Isa said, closing the locker. She offered the others a peach candy from the handful she had grabbed and unwrapped one for herself, stuffing the wrapper into her pocket. "But Micharu gives pop quizzes for tardiness."  
  
"Nah. Class Four gets then everyday, even if they don't count," Reia said, trying to talk around the peach candy in her mouth. "But I gotta go anyway."  
  
Reia waved to her friends, and walked down the hallway to Room 202, the Foreign Literature classroom. Of all the classrooms in Hitsuyukan Prep, Room 202 was the barest. Although the literature teacher, Micharu, had been there for two years, he had never really bothered to put anything on the walls. Of course, some of the more daring students tacked signs or sketches on his walls anyway to see how long it take for him to notice. So far, Reia's drawing of a shrubbery had stayed up for three months with no signs of attempted removal.  
  
The redhead fell in step with the rest of Class Four as they streamed into the room. Micharu had never forced the students to sit in any particular order or spot, therefore Reia went to her customary seat next to a window.  
  
"Hey, Ilia-kun," Reia said, as a tall, blue eyed boy sat next to her. He regarded her with a glance and slight inclining of the head.  
  
Ilia Khoskov was the quietest person Reia had ever met, though he had managed to charm his way into her group. The silent Russian had always intrigued the girls, mainly because he did everything efficiently and without saying a word. As was customary when he entered any classroom, Ilia immediately pulled out a book and began to read.  
  
Reia sighed and shook her head. Compared to how Kurama was, I guess silent men don't bother me so much, she side-glanced at Ilia. The moment he becomes talkative, that'll be the shocker.  
  
"Alright, Class Four," a deep voice sounded from the front of the room. Twenty-seven sets of eyes turned towards the blonde, blue-eyed teacher as he picked up an attendance sheet. "Let's get this over with. If you're here, say so. If you're not here, be silent."  
  
Micharu stood at an impressive six foot even, although Ilia stood three taller. As was typical of the former Ranger, he commanded his classroom as he would his soldiers: with authority and respect. This was a man who could intimidate you while still willing to protect you from anything. Having his class at the end of the day never seemed all that bad after Reia learned how cool a teacher Micharu could be.  
"...and Zoicho!" Micharu called, and was quickly responded to with a "Here!" by a voice at the back of the room. "Spectacular," he said, tossing the attendance sheet onto his table. "I believe I assigned a reading for today?"  
  
A mad shuffling could be heard as the students began tearing through backpacks and notebooks to find the reading for the day. Reia calmly reached into her binder and pulled out the poem.  
  
"I want you all to reread the poem for what should be the tenth time for my scholars and the first for my slackers," Micharu stated, as he sat down at his own desk.  
  
Reia began to reread the paper that was laid out in front of her. She barely heard the discussion that began after all the students finished reading. Her mind drifted past time as she looked out the window at the trees blowing in the wind. Since the first time she had read the poem, its words haunted her mind. Her dreams became more vivid, causing her to remember things that had taken forever to forget, yet things that shouldn't have been forgotten.  
  
She shook her head, red hair swinging around her and lightly whipping at her face. No. Now's not the time, she silently told herself. She closed her eyes, feeling the sunlight that drifted through the window.  
  
Opening her eyes slowly, Reia scanned the courtyard of the school. A boy in a green uniform stood at the gates, his hands hidden in his pockets. He looked up at Reia with dark-brown eyes, and turned his head to the side.  
  
Is he calling me out? she thought, the kitsune inside becoming excited. Reia nodded and held up four fingers where the boy could see them, then two fingers, then a fist. The boy nodded in understanding, and went around the corner of the gates to wait.  
  
Reia glanced back down at the poem. I guess some things will never change, she thought, smirking slightly.  
  
The Red Poppy by Louise Glück  
  
The great thing is not having a mind. Feelings: oh, I have those; they govern me. I have a lord in heaven called the sun, and open for him, showing him the fire of my own heart, fire like his presence. What could such glory be if not a heart? Oh my brothers and sisters, were you like me once, long ago, before you were human? Did you permit yourselves to open once, who would never open again? Because in truth I am speaking now the way you do. I speak because I am shattered.  
  
Woohoo!! I finally finished this chapter!! I'm not gonna say how long it took, but most of the typing was in the last three days, being July 2 to the 4th, although technically it's the 5th now. I don't think I'll do reader responses this time. However, as I am going on a trip to Florida this weekend, I will be working on the next two chapters.  
  
Oh, by the way. I really did have an English teacher like Micharu, and he did make jokes like that. And we did have a Food Locker. One of Mariposa's better ideas...  
  
Gods, this was a long chapter.....11 pages....never again.... Watch. The next one's gonna be either super shot or super long...I always do that to myself. 


	6. The Book That Knows The Truth

_PFcat slowly opens the door to a room filled with clutter, dust, and a pile of empty Pocky boxes._

Ummm…hi. Sorry I haven't updated sooner. College is not a place to sleep or slow down. And so, the only form of creativity I've been able to do is draw. I have that stuff up on deviantart, along with a drawing of Kaen in her youko form. It's so pretty!

This was one of those "how much should I give away?" chapters. The original chapter 6 was chopped into two pieces, the chapter 6 you see before you and chapter 7, because there was too much going on in the original. And I don't want to overwhelm you guys.

Yet.

Not to mention that I sorta forgot to update the version of this chapter on my computer, so I thought I had completely lost the file. Then, I remembered I had saved it to my U-drive at school, so really-long-story-short, I managed to get the file and there was much celebrating.

On with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any other anime characters or series that happen to be mentioned. I only own Kaen, Suki, the Hitsuyukan students, and the orphanage.

From here on out, language gets a little harsh. Just to warn you. This fic is PG-13, after all.

"spoken stuff"

_thoughts_

**telepathy**

/location information or authoress intervention (rare)/

--------

/Last time…/

She shook her head, red hair swinging around her and lightly whipping at her face. _No. Now's not the time,_ she silently told herself. She closed her eyes, feeling the sunlight that drifted through the window.

Opening her eyes slowly, Reia scanned the courtyard of the school. A boy in a green uniform stood at the gates, his hands hidden in his pockets. He looked up at Reia with dark-brown eyes, and turned his head to the side.

_Is he calling me out?_ she thought, the kitsune inside becoming excited. Reia nodded and held up four fingers where the boy could see them, then two fingers, then a fist. The boy nodded in understanding, and went around the corner of the gates to wait.

Reia glanced back down at the poem._ I guess some things will never change_, she thought, smirking slightly.

---------

Yusuke nodded as the girl hand-signed to meet at 4:20pm. _Forty minutes to wait…fun,_ he thought as he turned towards the brick wall of the courtyard.

Like most preparatory schools, the Hitsuyukan courtyard was filled with trees, bushes, and flowers, which were in turn filled with birds and squirrels. White stone benches and wooden picnic tables were scattered about, taking up every inch of shade that fell on the cobble-stoned ground. The grass that grew along the walls and threatened to overtake the cobblestones was well-kept and dark green, giving the entire courtyard the feeling of a walled-in garden instead of a schoolyard. A beautiful and peaceful place to sit and let one's mind wander into the world of fantasy and imagination…

…Not the sort of place to find the Number One Fighter of Sarayashiki Junior High hanging out in. Yusuke strode outside the wrought-iron gate, and sat down against the brick wall. He leaned back, hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. A forty-minute nap seemed about right to him at the moment.

_Besides, if I take a nap here, Keiko won't be able to bitch at me about skipping classes… _The Spirit Detective grinned to himself at that idea, and slowly slipped into the world of slumber.

/Meanwhile, at Sarayashiki Jr. High…/

The students of class 2-B were in the middle of another awe-inspiring and mental-gripping English class, practicing writing in Romanji. Needless to say, Kuwabara and a few other students were either sleeping or falling asleep, while the more diligent students were hard at work.

The lavender-haired Botan, Guide of the River Styx and Messenger of the Spirit World, was deeply absorbed in translating her writing assignment from Japanese into English when her superior, the Almighty Prince Koenma, softly called for her attention.

**BOTAN!**

The girl's concentration shattered and her pencil went flying before she answered her boss. **Y-yes sir?**

**I need to speak with you immediately**! Koenma demanded, shutting off the connection before Botan had a chance to respond.

"Botan-san, what's wrong?" Keiko whispered to her friend as she raised her hand.

"Uh, Mr. Takanaka? May I be excused for a minute?" Botan asked, standing up beside her desk after the teacher acknowledged her.

"Yes, but hurry back," the old man said, glancing back down at the stack of papers he had been grading.

Botan bowed briefly, and mouthed 'later' to Keiko, as she walked calmly to the door, opened it, and left the room.

-- -- --

A few minutes later, the door to the roof of the school flew open as Botan, no longer caring about being conspicuous, ran out onto the roof while pulling out her pocket communicator. She quickly looked around to make sure no mortals or otherwise could hear or see her before she dialed the extension for Lord Enma, Jr's office.

"Sir? It's Botan. What's so urgent?"

"Where's Yusuke? He isn't responding to his communicator. I have some information for his current case," Koenma stated, looking into the communicator screen with as authoritative a posture as a toddler can manage.

Botan blinked a few times as she thought. Had she seen Yusuke today? No, as far as she knew, she'd been the only person to leave the classroom in the middle of a period today. "I-I don't know, sir. Knowing Yusuke, he could be anywhere…"

"He's at Hitsuyukan Preparatory."

The Goddess of Death squeaked in shock as she whirled around to see a short, black-clad demon standing behind her. He smirked at her surprise, and took a step closer to Botan. "I saw him heading that way about ten minutes ago," Hiei said nonchalantly.

"Hitsuyukan? Why would he be other there?" Koenma asked, masking his own surprise at Hiei's sudden arrival. Damn it all, why couldn't those two demons ever announce themselves before popping up like that! He chewed on his pacifier pensively while waiting for the ice demon's response.

"He's following a possible lead. According to Kurama, they met a girl who might be youkai a few days ago," Hiei stated matter-of-factly.

Botan blinked. "Eh? You mean…one of those girls from the arcade…is youkai?"

"Did you meet this girl, Botan-san?" Koenma asked.

"No. Keiko and I were in the bathroom when the girls showed up. I only saw them when they were walking out of the arcade," Botan said slowly, trying to remember what she could about that day. "One of the girls did have red hair with a white streak, according to Kuwabara, but other than that, I don't know. I felt no unusual aura, so the girls must be human."

The Jaganshi looked at Botan, an amused look on his face. "Since when did not sensing aura mean some one is completely human, Shinigami? If a demon has enough power, he can easily mask his aura." Hiei smirked, his sharp teeth showing. He knew exactly how easy it was to mask one's power. How else could he have snuck into the Royal Vault, even with Kurama's skills?

The Prince of the Underworld was silent for a second as he considered what should be done. First several holy weapons were being stolen from temples usually under the best security Reikai could provide, and then those same thieves had been found nearly dismembered without any trace of the weapons twice already, and now a possible new breach in the Makai-Ningenkai border. Could this month get any worse?

"Botan, contact Yusuke as soon as you can and inform him that I must speak with him," Koenma ordered, his messenger nodding in response. "Hiei, I want you to get Kurama and Kuwabara, and meet Yusuke at Genkai-sensei's. I have a feeling things are going to get extremely complicated before too long." The Prince sighed and ended the transmission without waiting for any sort of response.

"Oh dear…," Botan said, looking at Hiei as she closed and pocketed the communicator. "Things are going to get messy, aren't they?"

Hiei grunted and turned to leave.

"Wait! Hiei!"

The Jaganshi turned around and glared at Botan. "What is it?"

"That girl, from the arcade," Botan said cautiously. "Did…did Kurama mention what her name was?"

Hiei stared at Botan as though she had said something ridiculous, and then sighed. "Reia. He said one of the other girls called her Reia," he answered, vanishing before Botan could say anything else.

She sighed and shook her head. _Well, at least he's being somewhat helpful_, the Goddess of Death thought as she pulled out her Who's Who in Ningenkai guide and started flipping through to find anyone with the name "Reia."

_A very odd name, I've never run across that one before..._, she mused, as names flew past her eyes, yet not important enough for her mission._ This is unusual, I can't find it anywhere! At least with Yusuke, I had his last name as well-…_, she paused on the entry the book was displaying.

"There's no way this is right…" Botan closed the book and concentrated harder, then reopened the book. Pages went by in a blur, before stopping on the same page. She tried flipping it again just in case the book missed another entry with "Reia" in it. No luck. Nervously, Botan reread the page, her eyes growing wider the further she went down the page. She gasped, her eyes flying to the picture at the top left of the page which showed a red-haired girl with jade green eyes that looked about 18 years old.

"There's….no way….!" Botan stammered as shock overcame her and the book fell to the ground. Wheeling around, she ran down stairs to find Kuwabara and Keiko, leaving the book behind.

A strong wind tossed the book against the wall, the pages threatening to rip. As the wind died done, the Spirit Guide reopened to the same page that has caused its possessor to fly into action:

**Name:** Reia Hawagashi

**Race/Gender: **Human/Female

**Residence: **Tokyo, Japan

**Date of Birth: **September 26, 19xx

**Personality: **bright, friendly, no apparent problems with others

**Appearance: **hazel eyes, light auburn hair, slight build

**Date of Death: **April 12, 19xx (died from complications due to Leukemia at age 7)

**Notes: **Strong ESP for a child, allowing her to see and communicate spirits; was listed as a potential Spirit Detective; the Spirit Detection Office recorded unusual amounts of youki around her for several days before and up to her time of death; no record of resolution from the contact.

/To be continued…../

-------

You know what, this was a hard chapter to complete because of the Date of Death line. The date and age of Reia's death applies to my cousin's son who died from a tumor last spring. I started crying as I finished that line.

Anyways, to continue, a few notes:

1) Reia is my perversion of the word "rei" which is Japanese for "spirit". Quite appropriate in my opinion.

2) As far as I'm concerned, Botan's Who's Who book has a mind of its own. How else could it carry that much information in such a small size?

3) Hitsuyukan is an actual school in Kinomoto, Japan. My friend Christy went there when she was in Japan for the exchange program, and helped me with the name.

Oh, if you get the chance and like Yu-Gi-Oh, go check out Wingleader Sora Jade and AmunRa. They are both awesome!

Now then, I'm off to hunt for sleep and a muse that will stay here! My kitsune keeps hiding…

Ja ne!


	7. So Much for Planning

Hey guys. Sorry it's taken forever, but I've had a hard time trying to figure out how to work the next few chapters…until I talked to one of my friends to today and gave her a summary of the story. This simple conversation is the whole reason I'm behind this laptop right now and typing. Susana was listening with such rapt attention that just made me proud to be writing this and a bit guilty that I hadn't worked on any of my stories, especially since she had read another one of mine, not knowing the author was me.

And so, this chapter is dedicated to Susana, who is my impromptu muse and an awesome friend.

Also, I have lost my timeline, so I have no idea what day I'm on story-wise. So I'm saying that this, and the last 2 chapters, happen on a Friday.

"…" spoken stuff

_…thoughts_

… location information or authoress intervention (rare)

All people recognizable as Yu Yu Hakusho copyright of Yoshihiro Togashi. All others (Kaen/Reia, Suki, Isa, Tomo, etc) are my creations. Except for Ilia. He belongs to Mara. Any other random anime characters belong to their respective owners.

(And we start!)

**Chapter 7: So Much for Planning…**

"Hey, Hawagasi-san."

Reia looked up from tying her shoe, her hair draping over her shoulder as she looked up at the boy who had called her name. "Hello Sanosuke-kun," she said to the tall brown-haired boy standing in front of her, his bag slung over one shoulder. She finished tying her shoe and straightened to her full height. "What is it?"

He ran a hand through his hair and looked off to the side, a faint blush on his face. "I was just wondering if you were going to the arcade tonight," he said, mentally kicking himself for not straight out asking her out.

Seeing his reaction, Reia smiled softly. "I'm sorry, Sanosuke, but I already have plans for tonight," she said, side-glancing to the gate, where she could see several of her classmates making a wide circle around a black haired boy wearing a green uniform that was standing at the courtyard gate.

"Oh….alright," Sanosuke said, lowering his gaze a little. "Well, I guess I'll see you on Monday." He waved at her as he walked off, sighing heavily.

Reia returned the wave, shaking her head. _Poor boy…I should take him up on his offer soon. He's so persistent_, she thought to herself as she walked over to the bike racks. She reached the racks just as Tomo, Isa and Suki all came up to her, each of them leading their own bikes.

"Are you sure you want to meet with him, Reia-chan?" Isa asked, glancing behind her towards the gate.

"I don't think I really have a choice," Reia shrugged, hauling her bike off the rack and landing it next to her. "But don't worry about me. I doubt Urameshi would actually try anything here. I'm not scared of a Sarayashiki punk, even ones like him."

None of her friends looked wholly convinced. "Just be careful, 'kay?" Tomo said quietly, putting a hand lightly on Reia's arm.

"Can't I just stay, you know, in case he does try something?" asked Suki, glaring at Yusuke, until Reia reached over and turned her gaze away from him.

"No, definitely not. I know you want to, but I don't want you hurt, alright kiddo?" Reia said, putting a hand on her foster sister's shoulder. She was answered with a glare, but just laughed lightly at her. "You three go on and get out of here. I'll see you at the house later," she said, heading towards the gate, the others following her.

As they drew even with the gate, Isa and Tomo started looking slightly nervous, while Suki looked like she would enjoy nothing more than pounding Yusuke for so much as poking Reia in the shoulder. Reia turned around and quietly told the others to leave again, reassuring them that she'd be alright. After a few moments of hissed arguing between Reia and Suki, the three girls left Reia alone with Yusuke.

Both Reia and Yusuke just watched each other, sizing the other up as the courtyard emptied. "So, what do you want, Urameshi?" Reia asked finally, leaning her bike against the wall.

"What are you?" Yusuke responded bluntly, his voice flat.

Reia chuckled and shook her head. "You cut straight to the point, don't you," she said, turning towards him and crossing her arms.

"You didn't answer my question. What are you?" he asked, slower this time, a faint growl coming to his voice.

"What do you think I am?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, smirking at him.

Yusuke glared. "A demon," he stated bluntly. He fingered the demon detector in his pocket that had been vibrating like mad since she had approached him.

Reia remained silent and just looked at him, not bothering to answer him. Her ears pricked up as she heard a ringing that seemed to be coming from his pocket a few seconds before he noticed it.

Yusuke reached into his other pocket and pulled out the pocket communicator and flipped it open. "What do you want?" he demanded, visually irritated that this meeting was not working in his favor.

"Yusuke! Where are you? Are you still at Hitsuyukan?" Botan asked, her voice in a slight panic.

Reia looked at Yusuke and the communicator with interest, the woman's voice very familiar sounding to her, but she couldn't place why she would recognize the voice.

"Yeah, I am. Why?" he asked, curious why Botan would know where he was.

"Okay! Just stay there! I think I figured out who that girl is!" Botan answered, her voice lighter and more normal.

"Wait, Botan, what are you talking about?" Yusuke tilted his head slightly, while Reia stiffened at the name 'Botan'.

_Botan! As in….shit! Urameshi! He's the Spirit Detective!_ Reia yelled to herself as she looked around, trying to see how she could get out of here.

"That girl from the arcade! The one Kuwabara said wasn't human! She isn't! Well, she is, she'd in my book, but she isn't completely human…" Botan tried explaining.

"What!" Yusuke looked up from the communicator, to where Reia was standing…except she was nowhere to be seen. "Damn it! Botan! Get the others here as soon as you can! She just took off!" He snapped the communicator shut and ran off down the street, hoping to find her.

--- --- ---

Kaen looked down from her rooftop perch as Yusuke ran off, looking for Reia. Normally she would laugh in situations like this, but circumstances didn't allow for humor in this case. _This was not in my plan. Now the Reiki Tantei are after both me and my human form. Gods above, this is going to be more difficult now_, she thought to herself.

She sighed heavily and turned to the north. "There's not much I can do about it now, except continue as much as I can," she said, gathering her bike up and leaping down to the street. She set her bike on the ground as she smoothly shifted into the form of Reia, her dark red hair matching the shadows behind her as she mounted her bike and rode off towards the docks.

**(To be continued...)**

I didn't mean for this one to be so short, but again, didn't want to have too much stuff in a single chapter, but I can promise that the next chapter will be coming along soon….possibly within the next few days…or even tomorrow! Until then! .


End file.
